Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
Not a member yet
951 research outputs found
Sort by
Gold nanorods: Controllable growth methods for device applications
No full textThe shapes of gold nanoparticles greatly influence their optical and electronic properties. The shape of a gold Nanorods (NRs) is defined by its aspect ratio (AR, length/diameter). Localized surface plasmons (SP) are standing waves of coherent fluctuations of electron charges along the metal-dielectric boundary. As the AR of the gold NRs increases, the energy separation between the two SP resonance peaks increases. Different wet chemical methods to control the AR of the gold NRs were presented. Better filtration and purification methods were employed to improve the yield of gold NRs. For this centrifugation of low-AR gold NRs were used to separate the spherical nanoparticles from the gold NR solution. A combination of centrifugation and partial dissolution, using a reducing agent for shape separation in the case of high-AR gold NRs were used to improve the overall yield of the NRs in the growth solution. Various characterization methods i.e., microscopy and spectroscopy post synthesis of gold NRs were presented to determine the AR and LSP resonance. These studies on controllable synthesis and better filtration methods of synthesizing gold NRs into a desired shape, might be useful for application in future nanoelectronics and nanodevices
Reflexiones acerca de la censura en el periodismo mexicano y su manifestación en la experiencia de los comunicadores locales
Get PDFEl presente trabajo tiene por objeto analizar la manifestación de la censura desde el punto de vista de los periodistas locales que laboran en el estado de Jalisco, México. Para efectos de planteamiento y justificación, la investigación problematiza los recientes indicadores de violencia registrados en contra de comunicadores a nivel nacional, algunos casos de censura que han sido mediatizados y cuestiona lo que falta por hacer en materia de derechos humanos y el resultado de las reformas en materia de libertad de expresión y mecanismos de protección a periodistas. Se identificaron las diversas formas de concebir la censura a partir de su tipología. Bajo un enfoque cuantitativo se encuestaron a periodistas locales sobre su experiencia ante la censura y los hallazgos sugieren que este tipo de factores que limitan el libre flujo de ideas van más allá de lo meramente económico y legal. La censura resulta una práctica histórica que nunca se ha ido, únicamente ha cambiado sus formas de operar
Race And Representation On Tv: The Influence Of Tv Status On Latino Identities
Get PDFIt has been observed that most American TV media has taken on a format that seems to concern itself primarily with White, middle to high-income family situations. Even though the United States of America has a Latino population that reaches 17% (approximately 55 million Latinos—with Mexican Americans making up 63% of that number) and growing (Krogstad 2016), we still see a tremendous lack of Latino characters in American television. This leaves millions of Americans with no substantial representations that they can relate to, or form an identity off of. Instead, Latinos are forced into believing they are not important enough to merit TV roles and perhaps not really be American at all. This research was a content analysis of 79 scripted shows that aired through 2011-2015 to determine how often Latinos came out and how they were portrayed. Results showed that they appeared an average of six minutes on screen and they were generally depicted as criminals. Additionally, four focus group interviews were conducted, and participants also responded that shows tend to stereotype minorities while they showed White characters as authority figures. Both content analysis and focus group interviews found that Latinos lack strong representation in American television
Televisión Legislativa en México, aproximación a Canal del Congreso y Ciudad TV, el Canal de la Asamblea
No full textEste texto presenta resultados de investigación sobre la Televisión Legislativa en México. Se estudian los casos del Canal del Congreso y de Ciudad TV, Canal de la Asamblea de la Ciudad de México, considerando su importancia para la consolidación de la democracia como vehículos de conexión entre el Estado y la sociedad en el ejercicio de la representatividad, el escrutinio y la deliberación pública.El objetivo general de este trabajo consistió en analizar la conformación de la naciente categoría de Televisión Legislativa en el proceso de democratización en México mediante investigación empírica a partir de entrevistas en profundidad e investigación documental. Los datos indican que tanto en el Canal del Congreso como en el de la Asamblea Legislativa de la Ciudad de México existen debilidades en términos de autonomía de gestión, de presupuesto e infraestructura; aunque el primero tiene mayor solidez en su constitución. Éste muestra un proceso de estructuración jurídico normativa y tecnológica más maduro; en tanto, el Canal de la Asamblea opera con deficiencias de infraestructura y un modelo de programación basado en el Infoentretenimiento. Adicionalmente, la investigación identificó una importante expansión de señales de televisión pública en la Ciudad de México con la llegada de la TDT
Essays on the Interdependence of Earnings Quality, Financing Options, and Executive Contractual Clause
Get PDFThese essays explore the events which prompt managers to managing a firm’s earnings. Using econometric investigative tools and US Firm data, I find that managing earnings is exacerbated by golden parachute provision to executives – namely the Chief Executive Officers, older executives, the firm’s prior cost of capital – specifically, the high cost of debt, and firms located farther from stakeholders monitoring – specifically, the regional offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In the first essay, three questions are posed. These are: (i) Does the prior cost of debt and equity impact the propensity for firms to manage earnings? (ii) What type of prior cost of capital affects managed earnings behavior? (iii) Does the location of firms amplify the prior cost of capital effects on managed earnings? To mitigate and aid in the restructuring of a firm’s cost of capital, better performance and improved financial statements contributes immensely. As such, when a firm’s prior cost of capital is high, the firm is more likely to manage its earnings to help attain favorable placements – in the equity market and to lower borrowing costs from the debt market. In the second essay, two questions were asked. These are: (i) Do firms with golden parachute provisions manage their earnings more? (ii) Does the CEO’s age play a major role on the propensity to which firms manage their earnings? Arguably, golden parachutes can serve as a soft-landing mechanism for most CEOs or serve as an impetus for managers to undertake riskier projects. The empirical evidence in essay two suggests that firms with a golden parachute provision are more likely to manage their earnings. Furthermore, I find that the age of the CEO enhances the proclivity for firms to manage earnings
An Empirical Evaluation of Developmental Networks and Mentoring Practices Effect on Doctoral Science Training
Get PDFThis study aimed at examining the impact of doctoral mentoring practices (DMP) and of developmental networks (DN) on the doctoral training practices (DTP) of students enrolled in selected elite doctoral science programs in three East Asian countries. It focuses on these social aspects that potentially enhance and/or diversify training practices that develop scientific occupational competencies. The recognition that mentoring during career development may be available from a variety of individuals beyond the traditional dyadic mentor-mentee relationship led this study to examine the impact of students’ developmental networks. The approach taken is novel in that the developmental network typology has yet to be systematically and empirically examined. The population investigated comprised students in chemical science doctoral training programs at elite universities in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. A sample of n = 115 students, stratified by university and by country, participated in structured face-to-face interviews that collected information on DMP, DTP, and egocentric networks. Network information was utilized to identify respondents’ developmental network type based on diversity of alters\u27 sector (e.g. academia, government, industry, etc.) and ego-alter tie strength. Two sets of principal component analysis, one for the 15 original DMP items and another for the 17 original DTP items, were performed to examine the effect of DN and of DMP on DTP. It was found that students who reported that their advisor engaged in mentoring activities that involved career and psychosocial support also reported enhanced engagement in leadership-driven training practices. Enhanced engagement with sources of training and learning outside of the lab was also found. There was no evidence that developmental network types influenced DTP. Hence, it is recommended that institutions of higher education formulate and monitor the outcomes of policies that foster the development of mentoring practices among faculty. This would aid in the preparation of doctoral students for work within and outside of academia. Further exploration and improvement of the empirical application of the developmental network typology in doctoral science training is also suggested
Mini-review: toxicity of mercury as a consequence of enzyme alteration
No full textMercury, in both its elemental and bonded states, is noted for its negative effects on biological organisms. Recent anthropogenic and environmental disasters have spurred numerous comparative studies. These studies attempted to detail the biochemical implications of mercury ingestion, in low, persistent concentrations as well as elevated acute dosages. The studies propose models for mercuric action on healthy cells; which is centered on the element’s disruption of key enzymatic processes at deposition sites. Mercury’s high affinity for the sulfhydryl moieties of enzyme catalytic sites is a common motif for enzyme inactivation. These permanent covalent modifications inactivate the enzyme, thereby inducing devastating effects on an organism’s metabolic functions. Mercury has been shown to be highly nonspecific in its binding to sulfhydryl moieties, and highly varied in terms of how it is encountered by living organisms. This review focuses on mercury’s effects on a wide swath of enzymes, with emphasis on how these alterations deleteriously affect several metabolic pathways
Gay Rights, the New Judicial Federalism, and State Supreme Courts: Disentangling the Effects of Ideology and Judicial Independence
No full textState supreme courts have been on the cutting edge of the movement toward equality for gays and lesbians in the areas of marriage and family law that has unfolded over the last two decades. Previous scholarship analyzing this phenomenon has emphasized the role of judicial independence, observing that supreme courts in states with judicial selection and retention systems insulating judges from popular backlash have generally been more willing to assume an activist role in the advancement of gay rights. This article reassesses this relationship using an original dataset consisting of all the votes cast by state supreme court justices in cases since 1993 in which gays and lesbians have sought legal equality in the areas of marriage and the family. Using a newer and more precise measure of judicial ideology, it finds that the voting behavior of judges in these cases is driven largely by ideology and by shifts in public opinion toward greater support for gay rights. Conversely, potential constraints on pro-gay activism such as more populist judicial selection and retention systems and the conservatism of state electorates appear to exert relatively little effect
Quiero Hablar Con Usted en Espanol, Juez: The Importance of Spanish at a Majority Hispanic Drug Court
No full textWe modified the participant perception survey utilized in the Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation and administered it to participants at a majority Hispanic drug court in south Texas. Results revealed generally positive perceptions of the judge and various measures of procedural justice. Results also revealed that participants perceived the ability to communicate with the (bilingual) judge in Spanish as important to their success in drug court and that this was true even of those participants who were fluent in English as well as Spanish. Our results generate an important policy consideration for these future courts, namely, the language abilities of the judge. We believe that judges at majority Hispanic drug courts will be most effective when they are bilingual in English and Spanish and we call on drug court planners to consider our findings as they develop new courts to serve this growing population
Together, yet apart: Working-class youth and mobile phone uses
Get PDFCell phone uses by ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ have been observed in order to understand how a subaltern condition is related to pre-reflexive dimensions of sexism and to ways of thinking about class condition itself. Our research methods consist of a combination of a survey, ethnographical observation within the school environment and netnography in order to observe their interactions on facebook. During the fieldwork in a public school in Santa Maria, a city in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), we conducted interviews with twelve working-class youth [young men and women] within the 15-24 age bracket. One of the conclusions of our study is that economic status, low cultural capital and lack of participation in collective activities may be related to individualized use of the cell phone, which becomes a technology for the expression of self and of the restricted peer group. Opinions manifested regarding gender issues are revealing of the persistence of sexist notions regarding women’s and men’s attributes associating women to a private sphere while men are associated to a public sphere